Happy Slob Gazette "Housecleaning with a Sense of Humor!" Issue #21 April 21, 2006 --------------------- --GET YOUR COPY NOW -- The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning... is available now! Only $12.95 for a cleaning guide that will change how you clean forever! Get yours today. The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning Book ---------------------- Contents: - A Note from Christina (The Original Happy Slob) - New On Our Website: Christina's Press Release - 3-Steps is All It Takes - Looking For...Your Best Decluttering & Organizing Tips - Readers Questions - Happy Slob Helpers - - Cleaning Recipes of the Week - Testimonials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A NOTE FROM CHRISTINA Contact Christina at christina@happyslob.com with ideas, tips, lovely remarks or anything else you'd like to share! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi everyone, It's Friday! It's also been a while since I've sent out an issue of the Happy Slob Gazette. As many of you know, it's been a rough month around here - a dear friend died after a long illness, and when something like that happens you tend to lose your focus on other things. And now I have a miserable cold too, so let's just say April hasn't been my favorite month. :) But, I'm glad to be back with you guys -- I miss hearing from all my slobbo pals! On the happy slob blog we have some regulars now who post often. One of our most regular posters is a doctor who has just performed some major 'surgery' on a messy crafts and computer room! lol I love her posts...See, even doctors need decluttering help! I hope your Friday is absolutely beautiful, and that this newsletter brings a big old grin to your face. :) And to all you newcomers who are reading this newsletter for the first time - I send you a huge, warm welcome and am so glad you've joined us. So, sit back with a delicious hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this issue! Big hugs to you all, Christina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ON OUR BLOGS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I LOVE blogging! :) Yes, you could go so far as to say that I'm officially a blogaholic...so please visit some of my blogs and find something wonderful to read and try! Click HERE for The Happy Slob Blog * Grab that Clutter * Another use for paper coffee filters Click HERE for The Happy Slob's Greatest Bargains Blog * All sorts of accessories on sale! (Including handbags & sunglasses) Click HERE for Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog * Sunburn Remedies * Removing Glue Residue * Rock Garden Ideas Click HERE for the Coffee Creations Blog * Coffee Bean Truffles * An ALL NEW Way to Clean Your Coffeemaker * Indian Spiced Coffee Recipe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> NEW ON OUR WEBSITE <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning - PRESS RELEASE I'm pretty proud of this press release, and had actually meant to send it out to you in the newsletter before. :) This is the press release I made at the end of February - all about me, my online mission, and my book! If you have a website, please feel free to publish the press release on it. Christina's 1st Press Release Smelly Socks Cure It was a mom who sent this in to us -- having teenaged boys with stinky socks inspired her to come up with a very clever idea for banishing the funk! haha Smelly Socks Cure ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 STEPS IS ALL IT TAKES! Housecleaning in only 3 steps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remember, easy, stress-free cleaning starts with the Happy Slob's 3-Step Solution: 1. 2 fast cleaning bursts every day - budget the time you can spend - anywhere from 5-20 minutes or more. Set it on the timer. Tidy up as much as you can - focusing your attention on IMPACT areas (those areas that are seen the most and used the most in your home. Kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas are often impact areas.) 2. 1 Focus Room every day - A minimum of 10 minutes in one specific room or area. I like to add storage areas to my focus room list so that those nasty areas also get cleaned! (This is when I do some de-cluttering - just one small section in the focus room.) 3. One weekly Clean-for-All - You and the family get down to cleaning business once a week. This is where you get some of those other cleaning tasks done. But don't worry if you can't get everything done. Over time, and with the accumulation of your good efforts you WILL! These basic guidelines will help you keep your home cleaner and tidier than ever before. It's simple, it's not intimidating and it works! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ READERS QUESTIONS If you guys have some answers to these questions, please send them in to me at christina @ happyslob.com. :) Either myself or one of our readers will surely be able to help... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING SLATE FLOORS Cindi asks: "I love your newsletter! Do you have any hints for cleaning slate floors? Mine is in bad shape, and I tried Oxy clean on it which is really cleaning it up, but it is also drying it out!!! HELP!Thanks so much!" CLEANING MYSTERY STAINS IN TOILET Carol asks: "I live in Albuquerque New Mexico where it is very dry and this is why I don't understand this problem I'm having. I have never seen this before and my husband was in the Army and we lived in many different places and I still never saw this or heard of anything like it until I moved into this house. In my main bathroom the toilet bowl gets black dot things all over in it, up the sides, down into the water all of it is just covered with these things. They aren't mildew because bleach doesn't touch them and they have no smell and mildew does have a bad smell. They are specks that vary in size of being just a very, very small speck up to about nickel size (they get this big when we go somewhere on vacation and we aren't home to clean it.) This looks very nasty and I am so afraid that someone might come for a visit and see it before I can wash it off. I try to wash it all off everyday but it can still get ahead of me. These dots are flaky and when I wash them with the toilet brush they flake off and I flush them away. I notice they are always under the rim and I try to get them all but they just keep coming back from under the rim and then spread to the toilet bowl and it looks as though I haven't washed the toilet out in a month. I hope it isn't that black mole that is so deadly. But I wouldn't think I would have that here in New Mexico where it is so dry? And I do have ventilation in the bathroom. Please, if you know, let me know what this stuff is and how to clean it and keep it away. Thanks in advance for any advice you may have." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Slob Helpers - ANSWERS to Questions CLEANING & HOUSEHOLD TIPS Send yours to christina@happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING OVEN RACKS & MARBLE Michelle sent in these two tips: "clean oven racks......the mystery ingredient is ammonia CLEANING MARBLE.........try rubbing alcohol" CLEANING SILVER WITH FOIL & WATER SOFTENER Maurie had asked about cleaning silver -- and lo and behold, he was absolutely right! The combination of foil and powdered water softener works to remove tarnish from silver. Here's what I was able to find about this homemade cleaning formula: Mix about 4 cups of water with 3/4 cup powdered water softener in a bucket. Place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of the bucket. Place your silver in the bucket and let sit. This apparently creates a chemical reaction similar to silver cleaners! Then you'll just need to remove the silver from the bucket and give it a nice shine with a lint-free cloth. I discovered another handy silver tip that you'll appreciate Maurie -- it's an unusual one, but we like those around here! :) If you wrap up your precious silver in plastic wrap in between uses, it helps to prevent tarnishing in the first place. Hope this helps -- please let us know how these two tips work for you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING RECIPES OF THE WEEK I'd LOVE to hear from you if you have a natural cleaning recipe to share! Send it to me at christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BAKING SODA USES Baking Soda Uses continues to be one of the most popular pages on our website! Why? Because baking soda is one of the most useful multi-purpose natural cleaners you'll ever find. If you have another use to add to our list, send it in to me! Anti-Fog Glass & Mirror Cleaner Anti-Fog Glass and Mirror Cleaner is an easy way to clean mirrors and glass in the bathroom so that they don't fog up when you get out of the shower. Pretty neat, really... Homemade Lavender Spray Our Lavender Spray Recipe is still MY all-time favorite. Using real Lavender Essential Oil means that this spray also has amazing aromatherapy properties. :) And shucks, it's so ridiculously easy that you'll never buy a commercial air freshener again... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOOKING FOR... YOUR Best Decluttering & Organizing Tips Send in uses to christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi all, I need your help! It's spring cleaning time, and of course with that comes decluttering all the junk we've managed to accumulate over the long, cold winter. So, what are YOUR favorite decluttering and organizing tips? If you have one you'd like to share, please send it in to me so I can share it with everyone else! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TESTIMONIALS & THANKS Don't keep those sentiments to yourself - send them to me at christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One Recent Review of "The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning": Christina's book is one that I've been looking for a long time. She explains how and why the average lazy person, "slob" if you like, can make their home cleaner (and that means happier too), and keep it that way, while also having a life! I have been involved with cleaning products on-and-off as a user, reseller and demonstrator for years. Christina's advice rings true and I was pleased to learn several tips and short-cuts which were new to me. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to beat the dust bunnies and save money and time while while they do it.